Far-right protestors dismiss traders’ concerns over Dudley march

Members of the All Football Fans/Firms Against Islamisation (AFFFAI) group have even invited businesses to take part in the march when they descend on Dudley on June 13 in protest over plans for a new mosque to be built.

It will be the third such protest to come to the Black Country town since February – following demonstrations by the English Defence League (EDL) and Britain First.

Police today moved to allay fears over the numbers expected – despite leading officers telling a public meeting that the protest could be bigger than the EDL march.

That day more than 500 protestors arrived forcing the closure of roads and the installation of metal riot fencing as Dudley was effectively rendered a ghost town.

AFFFAI event host Kevin Smith today said traders should still open as normal on the day.

Asked about traders’ concerns over the protest, forcing them to think about closing, Mr Smith said: “If the future of their country means less than two hours of trading then we can clearly see where the problems we face today are coming from. People ignoring the slow decay of their own national identity.